The Best Pizza Near Willows, by the Record

The wood-fired oven here was built by the founder himself, which tells you something about the level of commitment before you've even ordered. This Los Alamos flatbread spot runs on organic flour, slow fermentation, and ingredients pulled from nearby farms and ranches, all landing as thin, crispy, characterful pies. The contemporary farmhouse room is family-friendly and unhurried, and the wine list leans hard into small Central Coast producers.

1. 50 Top Pizza 50 Top Pizza USA Excellent Pizzerias

Wood-fired pizza from a pair who met slinging pies at Roberta's in New York, now settled into a bright spot in the Montecito Country Mart. Bettina is a pizzeria with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a slow-fermented dough that shows up in every crust. Pastas get the same attention, and the oven moonlights in baked goods, so leaving without a brown-butter chocolate chip cookie is the kind of mistake you only make once.

1. Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
2. Los Angeles Times The 101 Best Restaurants in California